Adjustable back in a dual purpose chair structure



1956 J. KRIGER ET AL 2,767,777

CHAIR STRUCTURE ADJUSTABLE BACK IN A DUAL PURPOSE Filed July 26, 1954- 2 Sheets-Sheet J r 5. Ea.

INVENTORS loss/unu- Kwsep BY 0A A. N LL Oct. '23, 1956 J. KRIGER ET AL 2,767,777

ADJUSTABLE BACK IN A DUAL. PURPOSE CHAIR STRUCTURE Filed July 26, '1954 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 United States Patent ADJUSTABLE BACK IN A DUAL PURPOSE CHAIR STRUCTURE Josephine Kriger and Ida K. Null, New York, N. Y.

Application July 26, 1954, Serial No. 445,844

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-158) The present invention is directed to chair-s, both fixed and swivel chairs, and more particularly to a means for providing adjustability thereof and provide for dual uses.

Previously it has been suggested that chairs might be made adjustable, and various constructions of this .type have beenon the market. Most of them have to do with reclining features so that the chair could be used in an upright position for normal purposes and then could be adjusted so that it formed a lounge or the like.

However such constructions do not lend themselves for the present purposes. There have also been proposed chairs having adjustable backs relative to the seat thereof. In one such construction the back-rest was capable of being tilted on a horizontal axis. However in various positions of the backrest it was uncomfortable for the user. Such a chair had no fixed support for the shoulders, and therefore it became tiring to sit in such :a chair for any length of time. Such constructions had a sliding frame or back so that it could be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly,,bu t in some positions there was an unblance introduced into the chair.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome the difficulties and disadvantages inherent in prior chairs of the type described, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a chair which is adjustable in such a manner as to support the shoulders of the user and to fit into the small of the back of the user to give complete and relaxing support.

it is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a chair having a combination of an arm-rest and the adjustable feature thereof so that the comfort of the user shall be increased.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a cooperative relation between the arm-rest and the adjustable back-rest so that for instance when the user is engaged in 'typewriting the arms are in the upper position, and when other types of work are being conducted or the user is relaxing the arms will be down in position for use.

In practicing the present invention there is provided a usual type of chair, as for example a typists chair having 'a swivel arrangement. The back of the chair is provided with a fixed pad and an adjustable backarest below the pad. The frame which carries the pad and the backrest also carries a pair of arm-rests pivoted in the frame and so connected with the -back-rest that when the latter is inits forward position the arms are vertical :and out of the way. When the back-rest is in retracted position the arms are horizontal and are in operative position.

In the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure l is a prospective view of a chair made in accordance with the present invention showing the same in one of its adjusted positions;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the chair in the other of its adjusted positions;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view fragmentary in character and showing the pad back-rest and operating mechanism in the position shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar "to Figure 3 showing the elements in the position shown in Figure 2;

hFigure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the c air;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged oross seotional view showing the slidable adjustment of the linkage;

Figure 7 is a detail cross-sectional view of a link and lever arrangement shown in Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8- 8 of Figure 5, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 5.

The chair has a base 1, a swivel 2 and a seat 3 as usual. A back or frame 4 is fixed to the seat and it carries a pad 5 in the upper end thereof which fits against the shoulder blades of the user and supports the shoulders. A pair of arms 6 are mounted on frame 4 and an adjustable back-rest 7 is mounted just above the arms and below the pad.

Back-rest 7 is mounted on support 8 and contacts with a plate 9 having a pair of slots 10. Set screws 11 extend from support 8 through the slots, and wing nuts 12 provide means tor shifting the back-rest up or down.

Referring more particularly to Figures 3 and 4, a link 13 is pivoted at 14 to plate 9 and a link 15 is pivoted at 16 to frame 4. A red 17 is mounted vertically on frame 4 in brackets 18. A block 19 is adapted to slide along rod 17 and a pivot 29 is provided on block 19 on which the free end of link 13 is pivoted. An additional link has one end pivoted on pivot 20 and a washer 22 is interposed between two links.

Links 13 and 15 are pivoted together at 24. A vertical rod 25 similar to rod 17 is held in brackets 26 and the free end of link 15 is slidably mounted on rod 25 by block 19. The free end of link 21 is pivoted at 27 to a lever 28 fixed on shaft 29. The shaft is adapted to rotate in bearings 30 at opposite sides of frame 4. At each end of shaft 29, an arm is fixed by set screws 31.

In the operation of the chair it is assumed that the elements are in the position shown in Figure 1 when the chair is used for relaxation, clerical work or the like wherein arm rests are desirable. If the chair is to be used in connection with typing, then the arm-rests would interfere with the operator. Therefore it is desirable to eliminate the arm-rest for this purpose, but at the same time additional support should be given to the typist in order that the work may not be tiring.

To accomplish this the user sitting in the chair raises armrests 6 raising them into the vertical position as shown in Figure 4. As the movement starts as shown in Figure 3, back-rest 7 moves towards the left opening links 13 and 15 and causing blocks 19 to slide up into the position shown in Figure 4. This movement is caused by the raising of lever 28 because it is fixed to the same shaft 29 as arm-rests 6, and since link 21 is connected to lever 28 it is raised causing block 19 to be raised and the toggle arrangement to be expanded. When the chair is to be used in the position shown in Figure 1 it is merely necessary to move arn1-rests 6 down into the horizontal position whereby back-rest 7 is retracted against frame 4.

Since such chairs are usable by persons of different height, the position of back-rest 7 in the small of the back of the user will vary with the height of the user. Therefore as shown in Figures 5 and 9, back-rest 7 may be adjusted upwardly or downward-1y. This is accomplished by loosening wing nuts 12 on the opposite sides of plate 9 and shifting the plate upwardly or downwardly to the desired position and then tightening wing nuts 12.

Although the invention has been described setting forth a single specific embodiment thereof, the invention is not to be limited thereto as various changes in the details of construction may be made within the spirit of the invention. For instance instead of the toggle arrangement for shifting the back-rest, other equivalent mech anism may be used, it being important that such mechanism be connected to the arm-rests as well as the backrest. Also the means for shifting the backrest upwardly or downwardly may be replaced by the mechanical equivalent thereof. The form and location of the pad and back rest as well as the form and location of the other elements may be changed at will. Various materials of construction suitable for the purposes may be used in the construction of the chair.

These and other changes may be made in the details of the invention which is to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A chair construction comprising a base, a seat mounted thereon in substantially horizontal position, means for preventing said seat from assuming a substantially vertical position, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a back-rest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an armrest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, said arm-rest and said back-rest being movable relative to said seat, whereby when said armrest is raised said back-rest moves forward independently of said seat and vice versa.

2. A chair construction comprising a base, a seat mounted thereon in substantially horizontal position, means for preventing said seat from assuming a substantially vertical position, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an armrest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, said armrest and said back-rest being movable relative to said seat, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said back-rest moves forward independently of said seat and vice versa, and means for raising and lowering said back-rest.

3. A chair construction comprising a seat, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an arm-rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said back rest moves forward and vice versa, said adjusting means including a toggle arrangement connected between said arm-rest, back and back-rest.

4. A chair construction comprising a seat, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an arm-rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said backrest moves forward and vice versa, said adjusting means including a toggle arrangement connected between said arm rest, back and back-rest, said toggle having crossed pivoted links, one end of one link being pivoted on said back and the other end slidably attached to said backrest.

5. A chair construction comprising a seat, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an arm-rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said backrest moves forward and vice versa, said adjusting means including a toggle arrangement connected between said arm-rest, back and back-rest, said toggle having crossed pivoted links, one end of one link being pivoted on said back and the other end being slidably attached to said back-rest, one end of the other link being pivoted on said back-rest and the other end being slidably attached to said back.

6. A chair construction comprising a seat, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an arm-rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said backrest moves forward and vice versa, said adjusting means including a toggle arrangement connected between said arm-rest, back and back-rest, said toggle having crossed pivoted links, one end of one link being pivoted on said back and the other end being slidably attached to said back-rest, one end of the other link being pivoted on said back-rest and the other end being slidably attached to said back, and being linked to a lever fixed to said arm-rest.

7. A chair construction comprising a base, a seat mounted thereon in substantially horizontal position, means for preventing said seat from assuming a substantially vertical position, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a back-rest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said back-rest forwardly, an arm rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, said arm-rest and said back-rest being movable relative to said seat, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said back-rest moves forward independently of said seat and vice-versa, said adjusting means including a toggle arrangement connected between said arm-rest, back and backrest, said backrest having a plate at the rear thereof, said toggle being attached to said plate.

8. A chair construction comprising a seat, a back extending upwardly from the rear of said seat, a backrest mounted on said back having means for adjusting said baclorest forwardly, an arm-rest pivotally attached to said back and operatively connected to said adjusting means, whereby when said arm-rest is raised said backrest moves forward and vice versa, a shaft mounted across said back in bearings fixed to said back, said arm-rest being rotatably mounted on said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 151,926 Slaymaker June 9, 1874 243,849 Chambers July 5, 1881 337,521 Scarritt Mar. 9, 1886 789,424 Harrison May 9, 1905 1,100,901 Moore June 23, 1914 1,746,952 Marwell Feb. 11, 1930 1,964,443 Townsend June 26, 1934 2,638,970 Harber May 19, 1953 2,642,585 Piliero June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 772,861 France Aug. 20, 1934 

